Krishna did ask for Bangalore South

NEW DELHI: It is the season for getting upset. Former Karnataka chief minister and senior Congress leader SM Krishna is the new entrant. Though popular lore would have it that Mr Krishna was not keen on contesting the Lok Sabha elections, it turns out that he did throw his ring into the hat.

He even met with Congress president Sonia Gandhi to seek a ticket to contest Bangalore South parliamentary constituency. But Ms Gandhi turned down his candidature. The reason: He had just been elected to the Rajya Sabha and practically had his full term before him.

Till now, Mr Krishna had maintained that he had wanted to stay out of electoral politics. Of course, he had always put in a caveat���if party president Sonia Gandhi asked him to contest the Lok Sabha elections, he would have no option, but to accept the decision. The former chief minister even went on record stating that there was immense pressure on him to contest from Bangalore South, where he would have to contend with four-time BJP MP Ananth Kumar.

Mr Krishna���s lament is that the party has not utilised him well. For the former chief minister, this is one in the long list of slights. After the Congress lost the Karnataka assembly elections under his leadership, Mr Krishna was appointed governor of Maharashtra.